


In The Heart of The Beholder

by InkyWandmaker



Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: Absent Parents, Cancer Death, Child Death, Child Neglect, Coma, Death of a mother, Domestic Violence, Gen, I just know that this is some pretty sensitive stuff, I swear this isn't as dark as it sounds, I'm Bad At Tagging, Loss of Parent(s), M/M, Mentions of Cancer, Miscarriage, Most of the above is just mentioned, Mother-Son Relationship, Motherhood, Near Death Experiences, and Summeries, rated for language, romantic relationships are only implied and can be ignored without impacting the story
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-05-05
Updated: 2017-05-20
Packaged: 2018-10-28 10:44:02
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 18,028
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10829658
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/InkyWandmaker/pseuds/InkyWandmaker
Summary: A collection of drabbles featuring the boys and their relationships with their moms in honor of Mother's Day.





	1. Greater Than Natural Laws

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey there! Because Mother's Day is coming up and there is basically nothing about their moms on here (or anywhere else for the matter), I figured I'd write something! I had to sort of make it up the details for most of them but I've done my best to keep it as cannon compliant as possible and make them feel "real." I'm planning on having 4-5 chapters: one for each of the guys and MAYBE an epilogue. 
> 
> This Chapter is about Noct and Queen Aulea- who is dead- and features non-descriptive violence, an injured child, and coma dreams.
> 
> UPDATE [5/19/17]: I was unhappy with how short this chapter was so I decided to add a little bit to it. It's still the shortest chapter of the series but I didn't want to add so much that it became redundant. When I started this series I was planning on doing it exclusively from the perspective of the children but as I wrote the other chapters it became clear that doing so would just limit the story too much. I am almost done with the last chapter of this story, I got hit with a nasty sinus infection just after Mother's Day and could barely stand to sit upright much less write so my goal of having this completed by then is shot but oh well. A week past due isn't too bad right?

"Sometimes the strength of motherhood is greater than natural laws."  
~ Barbara Kingsolver

\---

"He's perfect."

Aulea smiled, her long silvery black hair pulled up into a messy bun as she smiled up at her husband.

"Isn't he though?" she asked, her painted nails brushing her son's wild black hair out of his eyes. He gazed up at her, big blue eyes ringed with long lashes, and Aulea bent over and kissed his forehead softly. She would protect this child no matter what.

Several days after the birth of the Crown Prince, there was a celebration throughout the kingdom. The King and Queen made their appearances with a tiny Noctis in their arms surrounded by their bodyguards and best friends Clarus and Lilja. Before hand, the Amicitias had been introduced privately to the boy their son would one day guard and the royal couple had received a torrent of coos and complements- mostly from Aulea's best friend.

"He's so precious- aw look at those eyes! Just like his mama..." Lilja straightened up over the bassinet and looked over at her husband, her face set in determination. "Clarus, I want another one."

Regis had laughed at that, his voice echoing around the room as he clapped his speechless friend on the back. "Well, you better get busy man! Lilja's making that face."

"What face?" Lilja huffed, hands on her hips in indignation to the amusement of everyone present. Aulea placed a soothing hand on her friend's back.

"I think they are referring to the face you make when you want something and won't take no for an answer Lil."

"What can I say!? I'm a woman who knows what she wants and will work to get it!" Another chorus of laughter erupted between the friends before Regis gently scooped up his newborn son when he started to fuss.

"But in all seriousness, congratulations." Clarus rested a hand on his king's shoulder with a smile. "I'm sure he'll be a great king, just like his papa."

And so it was with this jovial attitude that the King and Queen greeted their subjects, their smiles radiant in the way only possible when their joy was real. The crowds cheered and Noctis fussed only a little, unhappy that his nap was interrupted by so much noise.

No one present would have even dreamed that less than a year later they would be gathered together again in a funeral procession for the very Queen who had stood so happily on the Citadel's steps with her newborn child.

The details surrounding Queen Aulea's death were not released to the public for if it had it would surely had ensured a riot. She had been part of a secret convoy, leaving the safety of Insomnia's walls to meet with Queen Sylva of Tenebrae and negotiate a secret alliance between the two nations against Niflhiem. Negotiations had gone well and they parted ways but on her way back to the Crown City the motorcade was attacked by several daemons- wiping out dozens of the Crowns Guard elites and the Queen herself. The culprits behind the attack were none other than Niflhiem, hoping to stave off any detrimental alliances by shooting the messenger so to speak. However, without any concert proof tying the empire to the attack and no means to counter, Regis had been advised by the council to keep the details of his wife's demise under wraps.

The nation mourned their loss collectively, shedding many tears for their kind and beautiful Queen and her husband but mostly for their infant son, not even a year old, who would never know his mother outside of photographs and stories.

\---

There was a portrait hanging on the wall in his father's study that had always fascinated Noctis. It was very large as it loomed over the 6 year old in its ornate silver frame but it was neither the size nor the frame that transfixed Noctis.

It was the woman inside.

She was seated on a leather armchair, the same one that Noctis had seen in his living room every day, and she sat tall and proud, a small smile gracing her full lips. Standing to the side, slightly behind her, was Noctis' own father and although the kings face was serious his eyes were smiling. The third subject of the portrait was a baby, only a few months old, sitting on his mothers lap squirming slightly but otherwise calm, his face sleepy and content. As per tradition, all three were dressed in black- the color of the royal family of Lucis.

Noctis knew who the woman was but he didn't _know_ her. It was obvious that the baby she held was hers; they had the same eyes, same lips, and their hair was a soft light black. Noctis knew that this was temporary, that the boy's hair would darken over time to resemble his father's but even without it there was no doubt that the woman in the picture was his own mother, even if he didn't remember her.

But he desperately wanted to.

Not that he didn't love his father, of course he did, but whenever he looked at his mother he was filled with a indescribable longing... for what? Love? Attention? Affection? Noctis didn't think it was that, after all his father was very loving and affectionate and he spent every second he could spare with him but there was still a piece missing somewhere- a piece that Noctis desperately wanted to find.

He had tried asking his father about his mother a few times- what was she like? Was she nice? What did she like to do?- and his father had always done his best to answer all of his questions but Noctis could tell that despite the smile on his father's face that the questions made him sad so Noctis stopped asking- no question was worth making his dad unhappy no matter how curious he was.

So Noctis was content to just sit on the floor of his father's study and look up at the painting of Queen Aulea and her family and wonder about his deceased mother and what his life would be like if she was still there.

\---

Noctis heard the swoosh of a sword being swung through the air and the pained gasp of his attendant before a sharp stab of pain brought the prince to his knees. His head spun and he looked down, he was kneeling in a pool of blood, his hands covered with it but the pain radiating from his back made it hard to comprehend what that meant. Movement attracted the boy's attention and he looked up, the daemon Marilith had circled around, sizing up her prey. She straightened up, ready to attack, and Noctis' eyes widened dramatically before a shining translucent sword slashed at the daemon, distracting her.

Noctis felt woozy as he lay on the ground but thankfully the blinding pain had ebbed away leaving only a dull ache. Vaguely, Noctis was aware of people running around him, swords in hand, ready to attack the snake woman and avenge their fallen allies. Noctis thought he saw Clarus Amicitia leap over him but he couldn't be too sure, everything was sliding in and out of focus and Noctis was struck with the overwhelming urge to go to sleep. With heavy eyes, he was vaguely aware of his father leaning over him, yelling his name with a panicked expression on his face before the prince couldn't keep his eyes open any longer and he fell asleep.

It was just dark for a while, a warm black oblivion outside of time, but then there was a soft white light in the distance, gradually coming towards him. Noctis tried to walk towards it but he couldn't move- it was like he was frozen in place. As the light got closer and closer, Noctis realized that the light was being held by a woman and with a jolt, Noctis realized that he recognized her.

It was his mother.

"Mom?" He asked, his voice soft and confused. The lady smiled softly and nodded before reaching out and gently cupping her son's cheek.

"My darling," her voice was soft and filled with a hundred different emotions- sadness, love, worry, happiness, longing- and her touch was warm and gentle. Noctis closed his eyes and his mother moved to embrace him. A warmth flooded through the boy and he found he could move again and he immediately returned his mother's embrace. Aulea tightened her hold on her son and moved to whisper something into his ear.

"I love you so much Noctis and I miss you every day but please know, no matter where you are, no matter what you do, that I am _always_ with you."

All too quickly, she was gone and Noctis opened his eyes, blinking in the sudden sunlight. As soon as his eyes adjusted he looked around, taking in his new surroundings when he heard a squeak at his feet. The creature was a furry blue fox-like creature with huge ears, a tiny red horn, and a bushy tail.

"Hello! I'm Carbuncle!"

Noctis gasped and stepped back; the creature didn't follow as if knowing that he had startled the young boy. 

"Don't be afraid! I'll protect you through your darkest dreams!"

Hesitantly Noctis stepped towards the creature and carefully extended a hand which Carbuncle pressed his head into. Noctis gently stroked his head but he couldn't shake the impression that his mom was responsible for leading him out of the darkness and into this magical creature's care.

' _Thanks mom_ ,' He thought with a smile before following the magic creature into the woods.

\---

It was a beautiful spring day when Noctis set out from the Citadel towards the rather extensive gardens, the sun was shining warm and bright, bees were buzzing around, and a gentle breeze would occasionally carry the fragrant spring flowers' perfume to a passerby's nose and make the new leaves dance on the trees. Noctis took the left fork in the winding cobbled stone path away from where the colorful flowers were attracting the Citadel's many residents and towards the less populated but no less beautiful part of the garden where he knew his mother was buried.

Queen Aulea was laid to rest in a fashion similar to all the other members of the royal family- a small marble tomb in a place they frequented often with a lifelike statue of the deceased on top clutching their weapon of choice- only she did not possess a royal arm so instead her hands were folded together atop her abdomen. Noctis hesitated for only a moment before looking down at the bouquet he had in his hands and steeling himself to go through with his plan. Slowly he approached.

"Hey mom," he started, his voice quiet. "I know I haven't been here in a while, probably since I was a baby, but- well- I brought you some flowers." Noctis carefully placed the white lilies on her statue so that it looked like she was holding them. Noctis then stepped back and looked at his mother's placid face for a minute before continuing.

"Well, um, things have been going pretty good for me I guess. My classes are taking forever but soon it'll be finals and then I'll be done which, I tell ya, _can't_ come fast enough. Um...its finally warm enough to go fishing again so I've been spending a lot of time with Prompto doing that...dad said you liked to fish too so I guess that's something we have in common..."

The prince trailed off, scratching the back of his neck awkwardly. "I'm sorry if I'm doing this all wrong, I just- well- Gladio said that he always did this with his mom so I figured that I'd, you know, try it. Um, Dad's doing good all things considering. His leg is getting pretty bad and he looks really old now but other than that he's fine. Treaty negotiations are basically crawling but it's looking like we're coming to an agreement- granted a very shitty agreement- but an agreement nonetheless. It looks like I'm going to be marrying Luna as part of the deal so I guess I'm engaged? Yay? To be honest I don't want to go through with it but I can't really do anything and Prompto understands the situation so I won't lose him or anything but- you know- if I had a choice I'd rather marry him over Luna but whatever."

Noctis sighed deeply and just drank it all in- the sun, the flowers, the grave. It really was a beautiful day. The prince stepped forward and placed a hand over where his mother's heart would be; it was warm from the sun and it was strangely calming. Noctis just stared into his mother's face for a moment before lifting his hand and quirking a smile.

"Happy Mother's Day, mom."

\---

They were in bad shape.

Noctis was crouched on the ground, his vision swimming as he tried to reach for an elixir but found he couldn't move his fingers. Distantly, he heard his friends valiantly battling on, unable to come to his aid lest they die too. Gladio was grunting with the effort required to counter the daemon's attacks as Prompto fired off round after round into the hordes of magitek soldiers that had ambushed them while on their way to make camp. Ignis split his attention between the two battles and his charge, shouting himself horse in his attempts to turn the tides long enough for him to rush to the prince's aid but to no avail. Slowly but surely, they were being overtaken.

Noctis closed his eyes, the world careening around him and his vision blurring. This was it. The end. They had failed.

Suddenly, Noctis became aware of an uncharicatristic warmth flooding his body and he opened his eyes in confusion. The battle surrounding him had all but faded away and instead an etherial ruby light bathed the scene. A feminine figure approached, now shorter than Noctis but recognizable regardless.

"Mom?" Noct's voice sounded strange to him, echoing unnaturally. Queen Aulea smiled and crouched down, her hands extending outwards to cradle his face gently, pressing her soft lips to his forehead. Her hands were warm and soft, emitting a gentle white light that flowed throughout his whole body. Noctis could feel his wounds closing, the broken flesh knitting back together and his energy coming back to him. Confused, Noctis reached out to touch her, only to find her slowly fading away, replaced again by the frantic sounds of battle. 

Noctis took stock of the situation. Prompto was in trouble, on the ground frantically trying to end off the magitek long enough to take an elixir but to no avail. Ignis had been forced to aid Gladio in battling the massive daemon, much too far away to help at all. Having no choice, Noctis pushed himself up, his body inexplicably good as new and his mind clear and focused. He threw his sword at the axeman about to swing into his lover, pointwarping into the soldier with enough force that it felled him instantly.

"Noct!" Prompto cried in relief, taking the offered hand and rising to his feet before Noctis took off- point warping from enemy to enemy, determined to end this battle once and for all so they could finally go to sleep.

In no time at all, the magitek soldiers were all lifeless heaps of scrap on the ground as the daemon who had been giving Gladio and Ignis such a hard time was dissolving into black tendrils. Prompto nearly tacked the prince from behind, laughing as he hugged his best friend tightly.

"I thought I was a goner! That was so sweet man!"

"Frankly," Ignis pushed his glasses up his nose and dematerialized his daggers into the ether, "I'm just happy to be alive."

"Took you long enough," Gladio grunted, favoring his right leg slightly. "What the hell were you doing over there?"

Noctis didn't answer the barbed question, instead choosing to lace his and Prompto's fingers together and head towards the nearby haven. Ignis gently shored up Gladio's left flank, helping his grumbling partner across the uneven terrain.

Noctis looked up at the night sky, wondering if that strange, otherworldly, encounter with his mother was even real. Unbidden, the memory of when his mother had guided him out of the all encompassing blackness of his coma came back and her words echoed softly once again.

"No matter where you are, no matter what you do, I am _always_ with you."

\---

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for Reading! I am already working on the next chapter so that should be up soon. Comments and Kudos are always appreciated! :)


	2. No Way to be Perfect

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Prompto's relationship with his mother is examined featuring: minor domestic violence, a single mother, and the fall of the Crown City.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I kinda feel bad that this chapter is so much longer than Noct's but whatever, I'll just write him a one shot with his dad for Father's Day.
> 
> I've tried my best to make sense of why Prompto's parents adopted him but were almost never home throughout his childhood and this was what I came up with. My own mother was adopted and her parents were always very outfront about that so I asked her why someone would adopt a kid but not make time for them and she told me about her friend who was also adopted' situation growing up which largely inspired this.
> 
> Prompto is also not a robot in this. I've looked into the magitek soldiers as much as I could and from what I understand they are human-daemon hybrids that are put into robotic armor to protect them from the light. From there I figured that Prompto was one of the early subjects- the biological son of the creator and a surrogate and that one of the scientists saw the inhumane experiments baby Prompto was being put through and smuggled him out.
> 
> Anyway, I hope you enjoy!

"There’s no way to be a perfect mother and a million ways to be a good one.” 

~ Jill Churchill

\---

They were fighting again.

Prompto was huddled in his room, hidden in the space between his headboard and his desk, and he was desperately trying not to hear the fight between his parents in the other room. This wasn't an uncommon occurrence but it was an unpleasant one regardless. They argued about many things: money, work, chores, politics, health- the list went on and on. Today? They were arguing about him.

"You coddle him too much Ilaria! If you don't teach him a lesson once in a while how do you expect him to learn anything!?"

"There are better ways to handle these kinds of situations besides yelling at him and violence! He did what he thought was right- doesn't that count for something!?"

Prompto winced and wedged himself further into his crevice, clapping his hands over his ears. He didn't want to hear what his dad had to say about what he did because he knew, right down to his core, that what he did was right. The cat was injured, badly, and he couldn't just leave her out in the gutter in the rain to die so he had picked her up and brought her home.

If he had known that his father would have reacted so badly...well, he would have still done so but would have taken her into his room instead of the kitchen. His parents (mostly his mother) had always been very forthcoming about where he came from and how they became a family. There was never a time when Prompto didn't know he was adopted and once he realized that nobody else had a barcode on their wrist his mother had sat him down and explained where it had come from- where he had come from. 

"You know that you are adopted Prompto, that we choose you out of everyone to be ours and although we didn't make you, you are no less part of our family than if we had, right?"

"Uh huh," he had looked up at his mom, his big blue eyes wide and filled with a curiosity unique to a 3-year-old's mind.

"Well, from the moment we got you this mark," she pressed her finger into his barcode gently, "has always been there." She paused for a second, trying to best explain the situation in a way her son could understand.

"Prompto, when you were born you were taken from whoever your birth mother was to be part of an...experiment- a test to see if something worked- and the people running this test put this barcode on your wrist to keep track of the progress you made.

"Now, these tests weren't very nice and someone who didn't like what was happening to you secretly took you away from where the tests were happening and brought you to the adoption agency where we got you from. That is why you have this mark."

Prompto had furrowed his brow, attempting to understand everything. "So...the people who took me from my first mom put this on me? Like...when I draw on my skin with a marker?"

"Not quite," his mother then brought her right leg up and rolled her pant leg up showing the tiny yellow crocus that curved around her ankle. "See this? This is a tattoo. I had someone draw this flower on my ankle with special ink that never comes off no matter how often I rub at it or wash it. The mark on your wrist is the same kind of ink."

Prompto had reached forward and touched the flower in his moms ankle in fascination, drawing his fingers over the skin. He didn't understand the full meaning of his mother's words then, he still didn't fully understand them, but he understood that he had been rescued from a bad place, first by a stranger and again by his parents, and when he had seen the cat in trouble he had decided to return the favor and rescue it from the rain and further harm.

Of course, the second his parents had come home from work his dad had immediately gotten angry and she was now back outside, in the rain, and Prompto was now hiding in his room while his parents yelled at each other about him. He didn't think it was fair, why was he any different from that cat? Why was it okay for his parents to rescue him and bring him home but it was wrong for him to do the same thing for this cat.

Prompto was startled by the sound of flesh striking flesh- the unmistakable sound of someone slapping another person- and the ringing silence it brought. Carefully, he unwedged himself from his hiding spot and tiptoed to his door, cautiously peeking out. His mother was leaning against the wall, hand to her face as she stared at her husband in shock. Cicero Argentum stared back, hand raised before his angry expression gave way to surprise. Prompto watched in fear as his mother lowered her hand and straightened up, a look of absolute rage darkening her usually kind and delicate features.

"Get out."

"Ilaria, I'm sorry I didn't-"

"GET OUT!" Prompto' blood ran cold as she grabbed a nearby vase and threw it at her husband who just barely dodged it before it shattered against the opposite wall. He quickly turned and left, slamming the door so hard that the family picture that usually hung in the entryway fell and shattered. Prompto stood frozen in the doorway as his mother covered her mouth and started to cry, her ash blonde hair falling out of it's usually tidy twist to cover her eyes. She sank to the floor and desperately tried to stifle her sobs as her son quietly exited his room and came towards her, gently placing his small hand on her shoulder and startling her. She looked up at the 5-year-old, her dark brown eyes overflowing with tears, and embraced him, pulling him down to the floor and pressing him against her chest, stroking his hair gently.

"It's okay Prompto, you're okay." Prompto frowned a bit, wondering why his mother was telling him this when she was obviously the one who needed reassurance but kept his thoughts to himself, choosing instead to hug his mother back tightly.

"I know mom, I know."

\---

It was shortly after that night that his parents had separated, his father moving out and getting an apartment across town while his mother stayed at their house with Prompto. To compensate for the loss of income, his mother had taken a more demanding position at the design firm where she worked meaning that Prompto saw less and less of her.

When he had voiced his sadness at not getting to see her, she had frowned, obviously upset that she was missing parts of her son's life. The next day, she had given him a digital camera. When Prompto had voiced his confusion over the gift she had smiled.

"Now you can take pictures of the parts of your day that you liked and show them to me at night before you go to bed. That way I can see what your day was like!"

Prompto had smiled and thanked her for the gift, appreciating the sentiment but thinking that it wasn't the same as her being there. From the sadness in his mother's eyes, he figured that she knew this already.

Prompto treasured his camera, taking picture after picture of the things that made him smile throughout the day- a pretty sunrise, a beautiful flower bed, various dogs and cats he saw along the way. Every night, before he went to bed, his mother would sit down with him and look at the many pictures her son had taken despite the deep exhaustion that was written all over her face and body. It was during one of the nights where his mom had come home very late- almost past Prompto's bedtime- that she remarked on the quality of the pictures.

"Wow! These are amazing Prompto! This picture of this dog here is so good it really feels like I'm there!"

"Thanks mom, I think his name was Ace." Prompto trailed off as his mother clicked through his many pictures, still dressed in her blouse and skirt with her hair down and her heels off, perched on the edge of Prompto's bed. He snuggled a bit closer and rested his head on her shoulder. "I wish I had a dog..."

Ilaria sighed sadly and placed the camera on her son's bedside table in favor of wrapping her arm around him and carding her fingers through his hair. "I know sweetheart, and I also would love to have a dog but I'm afraid it just isn't possible."

"But why?" Prompto looked up at his mother, "I promise I would do everything! I'd walk it and feed it and pick up after it and everything!"

Ilaria looked down at her son's earnest honest face and felt terrible. She knew that her son was lonely, a fact that it killed her that she couldn't help alleviate and that she knew her ex-husband wouldn't help with, and she knew that if her son had a pet of his own that he would love it and cherish it but it just wasn't in the cards financially and even if it was, their land lady would never allow it. She told her son this sadly and he frowned, obviously sad and disappointed but he excepted her answer without fuss, instead cuddling closer to her body.

"I miss you mommy."

Ilaria blinked back tears and leaned down, kissing her son's forehead softly. "I miss you too darling."

\---

When Prompto had finally finished his self-defense training and received his official Crown's Guard Uniform he had been ecstatic. Those years of hard work and exercise had paid off and he finally had proof- concrete evidence he could hold in his hand- that he was good enough to stand by his best friend's side no matter where he decided to go. Given, he would have preferred if his first excursion as one of Noct's personal retainers wasn't escorting his best friend and boyfriend of several years to his arranged wedding as part of a treaty to the very nation that had done so much damage to Lucis and cost the king his health but beggars can't be choosers.

Thinking about the Niflhiem Empire and the subsequent terror it afflicted upon Lucis with its army always sent a shiver down Prompto's spine and made him want to throw up. When his mother had sat him down all those years ago and explained where the barcode on his right wrist had come from, he hadn't dreamed that it would have come from such a sinister place when his mother had described the first couple months of his life so gently.

"Part of an experiment," she had said. "Someone who didn't agree with how you were treated took you away and brought you here." When he was three he had not been able to comprehend those words and he didn't put two and two together until one day in elementary school when their teacher was talking about the conflict with Niflhiem and their army of magitek soldiers. One of his classmates had asked what the magitek soldiers were and the teacher had hesitated before answering with the cold honest truth.

"They are the result of many inhumane experiments where they take human babies and inject them with the essences of daemons. The result is a humanoid mindless being that they then shove into a robotic casing to protect them from the sunlight."

Like a lightning bolt the realization had struck him: HE was part of those experiments. If he hadn't been rescued by some sympathetic scientist and smuggled out of that Niflhiem testing facility he would be one of those mindless creations terrorizing Lucis. He had quickly excused himself saying he needed to use the bathroom where he promptly threw up. When he went home that night, he waited up until his mom came home and confronted her about it. Her answer confirmed his worst suspicions. From that day on he had obsessively made sure that his barcode was covered.

A big hand slapped him on the back and he nearly fell forward. "You still with us?" Gladio's deep voice jolted him from his thoughts and Prompto grinned sheepishly.

"Yeah it all just seems a little unreal you know?"

Gladio shrugged, having already stuffed his new uniform in his bag. Ignis stood by the doorway, patiently waiting for them to finish. Prompto quickly folded his uniform up and pushed it into his messenger bag before jogging over to where Ignis was waiting.

"Shall I give you a ride back to Noct's apartment? If I'm not mistaken you mentioned that you were planning on spending the night there."

Prompto shook his head gently. "If you don't mind, I'd like to stop by my house first. I wanna show my mom my new digs."

Ignis nodded before Gladio had to break away from them to get back to work. The two shared a very brief kiss and Ignis led the way to the garage where his car was parked- a classy black number that, although nowhere near as nice as the Regalia, was still nicer than anything Prompto had ever driven. The familiar ride from the Citadel to his childhood house was quiet, Ignis was never one for small talk and Prompto had a lot on his mind anyway so the silence wasn't that bad. Ignis pulled up to the curb smoothly and parked.

"Would you like me to pick you up later?"

"Nah, I could use a jog later and Noct's place isn't that far. I'm sure you have a lot to do seeing as how we're leaving tomorrow." Ignis neither confirmed nor denied his remark and Prompto got out of the car, gently rapping his knuckles on the top to let him know it was safe to drive away before walking towards the door, checking the mail box out of habit and fishing his keys out of his bag.

He opened the door and stepped inside, toeing his shoes off in the doorway. "I'm home!" he called, his voice echoing around the empty house. He wanted to smack himself, of course it was empty- it was Thursday afternoon! His mom was at work! Sighing, Prompto closed the door and stepped inside, dropping his keys in the bowl by the door and stoping at the picture in the entryway.

The shattered family photo had been replaced with a different one- one without Cicero Argentum. Prompto wasn't sure how to feel about his dad, after that night where he had hit his mom, Prompto's opinion of him had cooled considerably and although his mom never talked ill of her ex-husband, his actions spoke for themselves. He had attempted a few half hearted father-son outings a few months after he and Ilaria had separated but after a year he stopped even trying. Prompto still got a birthday card and a Mid-Winter card every year but other than that, they didn't really talk. If he wasn't mistaken, he thought his dad had gotten remarried but Prompto hadn't been invited to the wedding so he couldn't be sure. It didn't really matter anyway, his mother had always been loving and supporting enough to make up for his father's lack luster parenting skills.

Prompto slowly walked through the house, gently touching the furniture and walls, remembering all the good times he had in these very rooms. He wasn't sure why, it wasn't like he was never coming back. He was simply going away for a few weeks- no biggie- but it seemed like it meant something more than that. When he would be back here again, his boyfriend would be married to someone else and who knew what would happen is the time between now and then? Finally, he ended up in his childhood bedroom and he sat his messenger bag on his bed, fishing his new clothes out.

His mom may be at work but he could still show her his new digs.

Prompto took his time pulling his new uniform on, making sure that every button was straight and every crease crisp and smooth. Taking his phone, he pulled up the camera and stood in front of his mirror, snapping a few selfies and sending them to his mother in a message. She probably wouldn't get them until after work as she usually turned her personal phone off until she was out for the day but Prompto knew they would make her smile anyway. He didn't spend nearly as much time changing back into his casual clothes as he had putting his Crownguard uniform on, shoving the expensive outfit back into his bag before scouring his room looking for anything else he would need for his trip.

After insuring that everything was accounted for, he went to the kitchen where he took the notepad out of the drawer and scribbled out a note.

' _Hey Mom,_

_Sorry I missed you, I just stopped by to grab a few things before I left. Noct wants me to spend the night at his apartment with him, said it would be easier if we were all in one place when we set out._

_I got my Crownsguard uniform today! It's so fancy I'm scared I'll wreck it! I sent you some pictures. I hope that meeting with the executives went well- I'm sure it did, your designs are great!_

_Anyway, I'm leaving tomorrow but I'll be back before you know it!_

_Love you!  
Prompto_ '

Prompto tore the paper off the pad and put it on the island, weighing it down with the bowl of fruit. He plucked an apple out of the bowl as he walked though his house, plucked his keys out of the bowl, pulled his shoes back on, and locked up. He took a big bite out of the apple and started walking towards Noct's apartment, never dreaming that it would be his last time ever seeing his childhood home.

\---

It was chaos, ash and fire raining down everywhere as Ilaria ran through the streets of Insomnia. If she didn't know exactly what the cause of all the destruction was she would have sworn it was the end of the world.

It might as well be.

The Nifs had finally invaded the Crown City, under the guise of peace, and instead they had brought nothing but pain and sorrow. People were saying the king was dead, that the whole royal family was dead, but Ilaria refused to believe it- she couldn't believe it. If the prince was dead than that meant...that meant Prompto was-

Her heel got caught on some uneven sidewalk and she fell, skinning her hands and knees painfully; tearing her stockings and breaking her heel. Ilaria quickly picked herself up, not allowing herself to feel the pain as she pulled her heels off and threw them away, running though the streets in nothing but her panty hose with a single focus in mind.

She had to get home.

It didn't really make much sense, all things considering. She knew Prompto wouldn't be there and she knew that it wasn't safe there but she had to make sure. She had to be sure that her baby wasn't waiting for her in an empty house like he had so many times throughout his childhood.

Ilaria collided with the front door as she fumbled with her keys, wrenching the door open and running inside.

"Prompto!" she screamed, her voice echoing around the house. No one replied and she breathed a shakey sigh. Where ever her son was, he wasn't here. Regardless, Ilaria systematically checked every room quickly before she ran into her own room. Hastily, she grabbed one of her many tote bags she used for work and started shoving clothing into it at random, focusing on nothing except trying to get as much of everything inside as possible. Once she couldn't fit anything else into the black tote, she zipped it up and threw it over her shoulder. She then ran into the kitchen and snatched the note her son had written her off of the fridge where she had placed it out of sentimentality and folded it up, shoving it into her bag before running towards the entryway. Ilaria plucked the picture of her son and her off of the wall and threw it to the ground as hard as she could, shattering the glass. Bending over the broken frame, she fished the picture out of the shattered glass and gently slipped it into her purse before pulling her most comfortable flats out of the shoe rack and onto her feet, leaving her house at a run and not even bothering to close the door behind her.

Ilaria followed the flow of all the other citizens, dodging the debris and the patrols until by some miracle she had made it out. As she stood on the other side of the massive bridge, watching her home burn, she pulled out her phone and speed dialed her son. It rang and rang but he didn't pick up.

Undeterred, Ilaria tried again. And again. And again. She would not stop trying until she knew her son was alive. That he was safe. After about twenty tries, Ilaria had stopped expecting an answer and was just doing it out of habit. She was just about to hit the call button when her phone rang and she nearly dropped it out of surprise. The phone screen had a picture of her son, his smiling face and bright yellow hair a welcome contrast to the ash and fire that surrounded her. She scrambled in her haste to answer the phone.

"Prompto!? Are you okay!? Where are you!?"

"I'm fine mom, I'm with Noct! Are you safe? Did you get out of the city?"

"I'm fine, I got out. I'm with a bunch of the other citizens on the other side of the bridge. Prompto, about the king, is he-?"

A heavy sigh. "It's true. The king is dead, the Marshall just called Noct and told him. I don't- mom I can't leave him, we're all he's got now."

Ilaria closed her eyes, a few tears slipping out. "I thought you'd say that. You have a duty to see this through, I understand. Just- keep it touch alright? I need to know you're okay."

"I will mom, I promise." Prompto paused on the other end and Ilaria thought she heard someone speaking to him. Her son replied, voice muted as he covered the speaker on his phone before he was back. "I got to go mom, I'll text you as soon as I can. I love you."

"I love you too, be careful."

"I will if you will."

Ilaria smiled despite herself, "no promises."

Her son hung up the phone but she knew, without a doubt, that he had smiled when she said that and that was a big enough victory for her. She may not have been the perfect mom, but as long as her son was alive and safe and happy, she had done her job.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! I'm planning on the next chapter being about Iris and Gladio's mom. As always, comments and kudos are always appreciated! :)


	3. Always More Important

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A shared narrative of Gladio and his Mother and the expansion of the Amicitia family featuring a very emotional pregnant woman and her friend, Gladio's childhood memories of his mother, and the tragic loss of a mother to cancer.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Welp, my goal of finishing this by Mother's Day is totally shot but I will finish this. I promise! I just recently got laid off my job and filling out applications kinda took priority.
> 
> I'm not gonna lie, I cried several times while writing parts of this chapter so that made it even harder to write and I honestly haven't even proof read this so I'm sorry if it's a mess! 
> 
> Also- Noct's mommy makes an appearance! I feel bad about how little she was in his chapter, I'll probably go back and beef that up later.
> 
> Enjoy!~~

“Courage is not the absence of fear, but rather the judgment that something else is more important than fear.” 

~ Ambrose Redmoon

\---

"Shiva's fucking tits this sucks!"

"Now now, take it easy dear. Think of the ba-"

"Clarus Amicitia, if you tell to to 'think of the baby' one more time I will personally prove to you that even when I'm 8 months pregnant I can still kick your ass into next Tuesday."

The king's shield wisely decided to keep his mouth shut as he helped his beautiful, strong, capable, and very pregnant wife, through the Citadel to the queen's chambers. Despite the adamant protests of every single man, woman, and child that Lilja stay home and rest for the last month of her pregnancy, his wife had insisted that she was fine and come hell or high water she was going to do her duty and protect the queen until the last possible moment. Upon arrival, Lilja grumpily batted her husbands hands away from her waist and shooed him away. Clarus hesitantly obeyed, shooting his wife a worried look over his shoulder as she knocked on Queen Aulea's door softly- standing up straight and adjusting her uniform (the one she had to have specially made to accommodate her swelling abdomen). The Queen answered with a soft "come in" before getting up in surprise when she saw who was calling upon her.

"Lilja! What are you doing here!? You're supposed to be resting!"

"Nonsense! I feel fine, I can still do my job!"

"You are 9 months pregnant-"

"-8 and a half."

"Fine. Whatever. You are _8 and a half_ months pregnant and you should be at home resting not standing here insisting on protecting me when I am in no danger at all!" Before her friend could even open her mouth to respond, Aulea had taken her by the arm and pulled her over to the couch, gently pushing her down.

"Oof! Now what'd you do that for Lea!? I'm never going to be able to get back up now!"

The queen's lips quirked up into a smirk, "that was rather the point." Ignoring the dark scowl her best friend sent her way, Aulea walked back over to her desk and resumed her letter, pleased that she had succeeded in forcing her very pregnant friend to relax where so many had failed. Lilja maintained her thunderous expression for a few minutes longer before sighing, grabbing a magazine off of the coffee table, and relaxing into the cushions.

The two women sat in companionable silence for a few hours; Queen Aulea attending to her many administrative duties while her Shield tersely flipped through the magazine. Or at least, it was quiet until Lilja gave out a pained hiss, magazine crinkling as her hand flew to her belly.

"Lilja? Are you alright?" Aulea had moved to stand up, but stoped when her shield held up a hand impatiently. A few moments passed and Lilja exhaled slowly, relaxing back into the couch cushions and opening her magazine; Aulea stared at her incredulously.

"Was that...was that a contraction?"

"Probably. It's no big deal, it's only the first one and this stage lasts for hours so there's no need to freak out. Sit down Lea."

The queen did not sit down but instead gawked at her friend, almond shaped eyes wide in disbelief. "I can not believe you. You are literally going into _labor_ and instead of going home and packing or going to the hospital you are sitting in my office reading a fucking magazine!"

"So? I'd just be doing the same thing in either of those other places if I went there so what does it matter?"

"What does it- that's it. I'm calling Clarus," Aulea picked up her phone and scrolled through her contacts, tapping the picture of her husband's best friend and raising her phone to her ear. Across the room, Lilja rolled her eyes and turned back to her magazine.

"Snitch."

After that, her husband had literally come running and helped her up, grumbling the whole time about how stubborn she was and how he knew something like this was going to happen, and Lilja was taken to the hospital. 18 hours later, after yelling and threatening to dismember her husband more times than she could count, Lilja gave birth to her son and when she held him in her arms for the first time- looking into his amber eyes and stroking his dark hair- the stress and discomfort of the last 257 days disappeared and was replaced with a love and devotion that would always take first priority.

_Always._

\---

Gladio distinctly remembered the first time he remembered seeing his mother cry. He had just turned 4 and it was a warm sleepy night in June, he had awoken with a dry mouth and had gotten out of bed to ask for a drink of water. He had descended the first few steps towards the living room when he stoped in his tracks. His mother was seated on the couch, facing away from her son, and his father was sitting beside her, his arm around her. His mother's shoulders were heaving as she sobbed, her hand covering her mouth.

"Lilja, this isn't your fault."

"Yes it is! I should have been there! It was my job to protect her and _I wasn't there!_

Gladiolus quietly sat down on the step, his small hands clutching the railing as his amber eyes widened. He had never seen his mom like this. For as long as he could remember, Lilja Amicitia was every bit as strong as her husband- albeit in different ways; she was stubborn, toned, disciplined, and strong, able to take on the toughest of enemies singlehandedly like it was nothing.

Seeing her cry...it scared him.

"Lil, it was a freak accident. Aulea was attacked coming back from a secret meeting regarding an alliance with Accordo by a daemon. She had no less than a dozen of the Crowns Guard's best with her and they were all taken out. If you had been there, it is likely that you would have died too."

"You don't know that!" Lilja's voice spiked, her fist colliding with the arm of the sofa. Realizing how loud it was, she lowered her voice again, "You can't know what would have happened if I had been there..."

"No, we can't, and it is precisely for that reason we shouldn't tear ourselves up thinking about different scenarios." His father's voice was gentle and sad as he rubbed soothing circles on his wife's back. Lilja continued to cry, grabbing tissue after tissue to try and stop her sniffling.

"...poor Noctis, he isn't even one yet," his mother whispered, voice raw. "I can't even imagine how terrible that would be, having to leave Gladio when he was so young. Noctis won't even remember her..."

Gladio didn't really understand the whole situation that was unfolding below him. Some names he recognized, even having faces to put to them; he knew that Aulea was the lady who his mother protected and that her husband Regis was who his dad protected. He knew that they were the King and Queen and that one day, he would watch over their son, Prince Noctis. He had figured out that something bad had happened to Aulea and it made his mother sad and that in itself was enough to bring tears to Gladio's eyes.

Gladio quietly slipped upstairs instead of asking his parents for water. If his mother saw that he was crying, it would just make her more upset and he didn't want her to be upset. He crawled back into bed, curling up under his sheets and pulling the covers over his head as if they would block out the image of his mother crying.

It didn't work.

\---

Shortly after Queen Aulea's funeral, Lilja Amicitia took up a new position in the Crown's Guard as a drill instructor for all the new recruits. She was good at her job, tough but fair, and when her son turned 5 she took it upon herself to personally begin his training.

Gladio was a fast learner, swift and strong for his age, and by the time he was 7 he was good enough to join the beginners class with all the others- younger than them by at least 3 years, often times by even more. He received no special treatment just because his mother was their instructor but instead was pushed even harder for it. It was a scorching hot day in August and even though the sun had sunk bellow the horizon, the heat was still intolerable.

Gladio was laying on the sofa, eyes closed and body sore. They had practiced blocking attacks from weapons with your body and as such, Gladio's body was covered in deep bruises. He was contemplating getting up and retrieving an ice pack from the freezer for his arm when he heard his father clear his throat softly.

"Gladiolus? Your mother and I would like to speak with you."

Gladio sat up, stifling a groan and looked at his parents. Neither seemed to be particularly upset so it couldn't be too bad could it? In fact, if he was being honest they seemed happy, excited, maybe a bit nervous. "Yeah? What's up?"

"Well, I- we-"

Unable to contain her excitement any longer, his mother cut her husband off, "we're going to have a baby!"

Gladio stared forward for a moment, not quite comprehending what his parents were getting at. He had already been told by his parents where babies came from (man that had been an awkward conversation) but in her excitement his mother had spoken quickly, her words slurring together, and it took a minute for him to fully understand the implications of the announcement. His mother was pregnant; he was going to be a big brother.

_He was going to be a big brother!_

Gladio cracked a huge smile and stood up, embracing his mother excitedly. "That's great! When!?"

Although Gladio didn't notice, his parents breathed a huge sigh of relief. They had heard that sometimes, when children are told that they will be having a younger brother or sister, they get jealous and act irrationally and it was a huge relief that their son was not one of them. Instead, he seemed happy, ecstatic even, to be an older brother. Clarus clapped his son on the back before replying, "sometime in May."

The next few months were a whirlwind for the Amicitia family; Lilja continued to train Gladio and the others well into her pregnancy, promising that after Gladio's birthday she would take some time off until the baby was born. During the month she was on maternity leave, Lilja repainted the nursery, reorganized the kitchen cupboards, packed and re-packed the bag she would be taking to the hospital dozens of times, rearranged the furniture in the living room, and obsessively cleaned so much that poor Jared had very little left to do in the household besides cook and follow Mrs. Amicitia around, gently recommending that she sit down and rest. Lilja did not want to hear it; she was going obsoletely stir crazy in her house. She had always been a very active woman and having to sit around and rest did not come easy for her. She wanted to run and jump, spar and defend, teach and play- not sit around and watch soap operas on tv while her baby kicked inside of her as if asking her "why the hell aren't you moving?"

But finally, after what felt like a million years, Lilja went into labor. It had started in the middle of the night, waking Lilja up, and she decided against waking Clarus up. She had read many many books of pregnancy when she had been expecting Gladio and they all said that if labor started in the middle of the night the mother should sleep and relax so that was what Lilja did. She got up, took a quiet stroll around her house, checked on her sleeping son, took a hot bubble bath, took a nap- it was only when her water broke around 4 am that she finally shook Clarus awake and told him it was time.

As her husband scrambled around the house getting dressed and grabbing the bag, Lilja sat in the living room amused. Clarus skidded to a halt in front of his wife, ever so slightly out of breath, "should we- should we wake up Gladiolus?"

Lilja rolled her eyes ever so slightly at the use of her son's full name and instead extended her hand expectantly, "and tell him what? That I'm going into labor? Let him sleep Clarus, there's no reason for him to come to the hospital so early and wait around doing nothing for hours." Taking her hand, Clarus gently helped his wife up and received a kiss on the cheek for the trouble. "I've already called Jared, he's on his way over as we speak and in the meantime, we need to go."

The king's shield nodded and helped his wife out to the car before driving them to the hospital. The second time around, Lilja felt much more relaxed- she had done it before and she can do it again- but that didn't make it any less painful when her contractions intensified and it seemed that everything her husband did just irritated her. About 8 hours after the couple had left their house, the doctor said that Lilja was close and Jared brought Gladio overto the hospital. When her son had entered the room, all the irritation and pain Lilja had been in faded into the background and she embraced him tightly. His excitement to be an older brother had only grown as Lilja's belly swelled and now that the day was here, Gladio was practically vibrating with excitement.

All too soon, he was escorted out of the room and it was time for Lilja to deliver her second child. Poor Clarus was sure that his wife was going to break his hand but he didn't dare mention it for fear of his wife's wrath; he was sure that she was in more pain than he could ever imagine and would not appreciate his complaint.

Delivery took much less time with her second than it had with her first and when Iris Amicitia cried for the first time, just as before, Lilja knew that those months of discomfort and irritation were so very very worth it.

Gladio entered the room, hesitant, looking up at his father who waved him over. His mother sat in the hospital bed, exhausted, but smiled at him brightly and urged him to come up into the bed with her. Scooting forward, Lilja gently handed Gladio the sleeping newborn, showing him how to hold her just as she had shown him how to hold a sword. Gladio looked down at his baby sister for the first time, in awe with how tiny she was. Of course he had seen babies before but he had never help one- especially one who was so special, so adorable. Iris' hair was the same dark brown as her mother and brother's and when she opened her eyes, blinking up at Gladio, he noticed they shared the same eyes. Iris cooed and extended one of her tiny hands and her brother gave her his finger to hold before cracking the biggest goofiest grin ever.

He was going to be the _best_ big brother he could possibly be.

\---

Life in the Amicitia house with two kids was surprisingly not nearly as chaotic as Lilja and Clarus had been expecting. Gladiolus was a huge help with Iris, calming her down when she would cry, chasing after her as she learned to walk, playing with her when she was bored- the jealousy that the parenting books had warned them about: the first born becoming possessive of their parents' time and taking out their frustration through tantrums, misbehavior, and sometimes hostile actions against the younger sibling never came. Gladio's willingness to look after Iris was a godsend when his mother started to get sick.

It was perhaps 3 years after Iris was born that Lilja started to notice an unusual back pain. Most of the time, it was not even there but out of the blue, an intense searing pain would radiate from her back, trailing down through her limbs like lightning from Ramuh but just as quickly as it came on it was gone. Lilja dismissed it at first, a pinched nerve or a pulled muscle, and left it alone. She was a big girl, she could deal with a little back ache- for gods' sake she's been dealing with menstrual cramps all her life and has gone through childbirth not once but twice! This was NOTHING.

Or so she thought.

When the racing electrical pain did not fade after a week or two but instead got worse, she broke down and asked her husband for a back rub which he graciously granted. Lilja had laid down on their bed, a sheet wrapped around her body and her short brown hair pulled off of her neck by a headband, and relaxed into her husband's touch. Her muscles slowly unlocked and relaxed and she closed her eyes, enjoying the sensation until Clarus' hands ran down her spine, fingers pressing into her tanned skin gently, and suddenly the pain was back- worse than ever. Lilja physically jumped, crying out and Clarus flinched, his hands jerking away from his wife like he had touched a hot stove. Lilja gritted her teeth, hissing and clenching her hands- literally shaking from the pain- and tears prickled her eyes. Clarus watched, absolutely terrified, as his wife of 15 years breathed through the pain.

"Lil?" he carefully moved over to her, "sweetheart? Are you okay?"

Lilja took a deep shaky breath, "n-no. I...I don't know."

The fear, indecision, and pain in his wife's voice broke Clarus' heart and he carefully slid onto the bed beside her. Lilja immediately moved over to him, embracing him which was carefully returned. "Honey, I don't think that is a pinched nerve. You... Lilja, I've never seen you or anyone else have this kind of reaction to a gentle touch in that area. You need to see a doctor."

"...You're right."

Clarus tightened his hold on his wife, kissing her forehead. The fact that she had agreed with him so easily was probably the scariest thing of all.

Lilja made an appointment with a her physician for the next day and no sooner had her doctor touched the area in question, Lilja had cried out just like she had when her husband had done the same thing. Her physician had frowned, giving her some pain pills and a referral to a specialist for the next week. The pain persisted and the back specialist saw Lilja's reaction to being touched and ordered a MRI of her back. The family waited for the results and when Lilja got the call, they asked her to come in which was never ever good. After work, she went to the doctors office while Clarus sat through a meeting with Regis and Gladio went to pick Iris up from preschool.

The family was eating dinner when Lilja got back from her doctors appointment, holding an envelope tightly in her slightly shaking hands. Everyone looked up when she walked in, Iris happily cried out "mama!" but Gladio and Clarus knew instantly something was wrong. Lilja's husband got up and walked over to his wife, gently steering her into the sitting room.

"Stay with your sister," he instructed, voice pointedly calm. Gladio had started to stand up to follow his parents but slowly lowered himself back into his chair, putting on a fake smile for Iris who could tell something was wrong.

"Gladdy...?"

"Hey, come on! You still have a bunch of spaghetti left- I thought that was your favorite!"

Iris allowed herself to be distracted by her brother and turned back to her plate, messily forking noodles off of her plate and into her mouth, slurping them up and splattering sauce all over her face. Gladio couldn't bring himself to eat the rest of his food, instead turning towards the living room and trying to eavesdrop on his parents but only succeeded in catching snippets of their conversation.

"-it doesn't look good Clarus, the prognosis is-"

"-you're strong Lilja, you've got to have hope-"

"-what are we gonna tell the kids? Iris is only 3, do you think she'll understand?"

"Gladdy!" Iris, sounded petulant meaning that she had tried and failed to gain her brother's attention several times; In his attempt to hear more about what was going on, he had tuned out his sister. Gladio looked over and managed to smile despite the ominous cloud hanging over the Amicitia household because Iris was just too darn cute. She sat in her booster seat, face covered in spaghetti sauce with her hands raised up a little to keep them from staining her dark purple dress- a fruitless effort as she had already gotten sauce on the top but a cute sight regardless. Gladio stood and retrieved a wet rag from the kitchen, wiping his baby sister's hands and face off with a teasing comment about her being a bossy princess. Iris stuck her tongue out at him and for a brief second, Gladio was able to forget how worried he was.

Of course, when his parents finally sat him and Iris down and filled them in on what was going on, Gladio's worry only increased by a hundred.

They were very frank. The cause of Lilja Amicitia's back pain was a "glioma," a tumor on her spine, and a particularly nasty one at that. It was impossible to operate upon it without paralyzing or killing the host. It was cancerous and aggressively spreading, the only way to fight it would be equally aggressive chemotherapy. They did not, however, tell their children that the chances of their mother living past her first year of treatment were less than 50% and that the percentages dropped exponentially with every passing year. They didn't need to, Gladio could tell by the looks on their faces.

Gladio tried not to cry, he hated crying- especially in front of Iris- but he couldn't stop the tears. This of course made Iris cry and his mother cry. Lilja had stood up and gone over to her babies, sitting between them and pressing them to her body, trying her best to comfort them and failing.

\---

Gladio blocked most of the memories of the following year from his mind; they were simply too painful to think about.

He didn't want to remember how the chemotherapy made his mother sick, leached away her energy and took one of the strongest members of the Crowns Guard and made her weak. He didn't want to remember how her hair had fallen out, her gorgeous tanned skin becoming dry and pale, her love of cooking and eating together as a family replaced by nausea and low appetite. He knew she fought- he knew that she fought so so hard- but it killed him to see her lose. In his mind, she could never lose because she was his mom; she taught him how to fight and he had never been able to beat her.

If he was to try now...well, it wouldn't have been a fair fight.

So Gladio took those sad memories and stuffed them into a box labeled "do not open" and shoved them to the back of his mind. He instead tried to focus on all the hugs she gave him- fierce hugs that made it hard to breathe, and all the times she would have him crawl into bed with her so that she could read to him, her fingers running through his hair while he listened to her heart beat. 

Lilja also made sure to spend lots of time with Iris. One of her greatest fears was one of her children experiencing a fate like what had happened to her best friend and her son. She wanted Iris to remember her, at least a little, so that she knew that she was loved and special- that if Lilja could she would protect her from the world. So both Gladio and Iris spent every possible second with their mother.

Clarus took his wife's illness hard. He had always been stoic; when the going got tough, he got tougher. However, this situation was one that could not be solved by hardening his shell because there would be no one there to crack it once it calcified. Lilja had always been the emotional one- exploding in rage, oozing with joy, drowning in sadness, and he had always been the muted one, the one to keep her grounded while she lifted his spirits. Without her, Clarus was sure that he would try to withdraw and he knew that when the inevitable happened and she passed away, that his children would need him more than ever before.

Lilja Amicitia passed away in early June; she had wanted to be there for her children's birthdays- they were milestones after all: 13 and 5. For their final gifts she had given them both one of her favorite necklaces. Gladio received the carved wood cross with bronze beads that she had teasingly stolen off of a young Clarus' neck while they were training together, telling the story of how he had chased her around the court yards until they lost their footing and he fell right on top of her, falling in love with her. Iris received her circular steel pendant bearing the Amicitia family crest on it- the same one that was on Clarus' shield which would one day be Gladio's shield- a wedding gift from her husband to welcome her into the family. Of course, Iris wouldn't be able to wear it except for special occasions until she was older but she had immediately fallen in love with it, grazing her fingers over the burnished steel lovingly.

Gladio didn't remember the visitation or the funeral but he did remember being at the graveside. His father had stood beside them, face hard as stone and eyes a thousand miles away and rimmed in red, Iris was in his arms, her face buried in his neck sobbing, and he had stared at the casket, tears falling slowly as he struggled to come to terms with the fact that she was gone.

His mother was gone and he had no idea what he was supposed to do about it.

\---

Gladio stopped and adjusted his hold on Iris, who had jumped into his back insisting he carry her. To his left, Ignis was walking beside him, slightly behind, and he was holding a bunch of flowers and feeling like he was intruding upon something sacred.

Gladio stopped when he reached his mother's well kept headstone and let Iris slide off of his back. The 13 year old immediately launched into a jubilant account of how awesome her birthday party had been. Gladio gave her some space and walked over towards Ignis who stood several feet away, obviously uncomfortable.

"Hey, you don't have to stand all the way over here, we don't bite," Gladio stepped into his lover's personal space and whispered into his ear, "... _hard_."

Ignis turned away from Gladio who was grinning wolfishly and blushed, "I can't help but feel that I'm intruding, this is such an...intimate tradition."

Gladio scoffed, "please, you're basically family already and I invited you here. I'm serious about this, about us. You've already met my dad so now it's time you meet my mom."

Ignis looked over at the brunette, unconvinced, and handed him the bouquet of lilies that had been foisted upon him when Iris had demanded to be carried so they wouldn't be crushed- keeping a single white rose for himself. "Here, these are yours. I'll be right back."

Gladio frowned slightly in confusion as Ignis turned and walked away, towards a different section of the cemetery. "Where are you going?" he called out, worried that his boyfriend was fleeing.

"I want to visit someone else- I won't be long!"

Gladio shrugged, he would ask him about it later and instead went to join his sister at his mother's headstone. Iris took the lilies and began to artfully arrange them in their mother's built in vase as Gladio rambled on about what he was doing, how he had been, how his dad was- the usual stuff. He had just finished wishing her a Happy Mother's Day when Ignis returned- now flowerless- and Gladio quickly looped an arm around him and grinned brightly.

"Hey mom- there's someone I'd like you to meet!"

\---

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ahhhh, I swear I can't resist sneaking my OTP into everything; Gladio and Iggy will be the death of me!
> 
> On the flip side, I really tried to do something different with Clarus and his wife. Most of the fics I've read always had Clarus be the hot headed one so I thought I'd subvert the roles here. Gladio defiantly takes after his momma in regards to his temper (which makes sense because of how often he was around her) and Iris takes after her daddy more- but they both look just like their mom. Also, because I am such a hot headed emotional bomb and my boyfriend is super chill and balances me out, it made writing the relationship dynamic this way much easier.
> 
> As always, thanks for reading! Comments and Kudos are always appreciated!!! Ignis is up next and I've already started so hopefully I won't miss my deadline by too much!


	4. A Piece of The Heavens

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> An exploration of Ignis' childhood featuring the birth from Hell, a senseless tragity, and a kindhearted goofball of a bodyguard.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am sooo sorry this is so late! After Mother's Day I got hit with a nasty sinus infection and I couldn't even sit upright much less write coherently! But here we go- an extra extra long chapter and two additional scenes added to Noct's chapter so go check that out! Enjoy!

“Babies are bits of star-dust blown from the hand of God. Lucky the woman who knows the pangs of birth for she has held a star.” 

~ Larry Barretto

\---

There was nothing, not a single thing in the whole universe, that Selene Scientia wanted more than a child but try as she might, it just wouldn't happen.

Her husband, ever the practical voice of reason, had suggested other options: adoption, surrogacy, fertility treatments- but Selene was stubborn. She didn't have anything against those routes, a child is no less loved by their parent if they were begotten by those actions but there was a small part inside her- a very stubborn, irrational, insistent part that promised her that it would happen one day. One day, she would give birth to a child of her own.

And then there were many times when she had thought it had happened, when the test had come back positive and she had been so excited only to have it all slip away. That was even harder. Impossible as it is to understand, mother and child bond long before the woman births the baby; one does not carry a child around for 9 months and not grow attached.

After the third time she miscarried, Selene became afraid to even check to see if she was pregnant. Marius had assured her that there was absolutely no way that her knowing she was pregnant was causing her to miscarry but Selene found that in this particular instance she was completely irrational. She may be a woman of science- an astronomer- but this was in beyond her area of expertise. She dealt in numbers, latitudes and longitudes of the celestial sphere, the astronomically vast areas that separated one world from the next, the lifetimes of stars and the manufacture of heavy elements in their dying cores, the physics surrounding the movements of massive bodies affecting each other; she did not deal with emotions and the human body, although she was not ignorant to the process. 

Therefor, when her menstrual cycle for May didn't come, Selene made the calculated decision to ignore it. She didn't tell anyone, not her husband or her sister, and she decided that she would not take the pregnancy test. If the Gods were going to play with her emotions like this, then she would just refuse to play. It wasn't until about a month and a half later, the longest she had gone without miscarrying, that she finally told her husband that she might be pregnant. Marius was rightfully upset that she didn't tell him sooner but his anger at her keeping the secret was eclipsed by the idea of finally having a child.

Of course, Selene sought prenatal care for her unborn child; she listened to what she was supposed to do to make the pregnancy go as smooth as possible but in regards to the specifics of her child she didn't want to know. Deep down, a part of her was still terrified of loosing her baby and the less she knew, the easier it would be if it happened.

Miraculously, as the months passed and seasons changed and she came to term, it started to finally feel real. Selene could feel her baby moving and kicking, telling her that he was alive and well. Cautiously, Selene began to hope again; she allowed herself to paint and furnish the nursery and to start counting down the days until her due date.

'Perhaps the gods aren't all bad,' she would think as she wandered through the observatory on the outskirts of Insomnia. 'Maybe I was overthinking things.'

It was a dreadfully awful day when she went into labor. A blizzard had blown in from the ocean and swept through the south-western part of the Crown City, shutting down the bridge and grinding traffic to a halt. Snow was falling in thick wet globs, accumulating so fast that it was absolutely impossible to see much less drive. To put the cherry on top of the shit sundae, Selena's husband Marius- a surgeon- had been called into work early that morning before the snow had started meaning that she was home alone, snowed in, and about to give birth to her first child.

Fucking perfect.

Selene took a deep breath- woman have been doing this for millennia and she could too- and did what she could with what she had available to her. She unlocked the door, put a shower curtain over her bedsheets, and grabbed a bunch of towels before hunkering down and calling the hospital. If ever there was a time when Selene wished she lived closer to the Citadel, it was now, but her first love had always been the stars and she couldn't very well see them in the light polluted city center. The EMTs informed her that it would take at least three to get out there in this weather and as the contractions got closer and closer together, it started to become clear that she would have to do this herself.

The pain was incredible. It felt like her entire body was throbbing, pulsing with every heartbeat. In the distance, she could hear loud rumbles of thunder- a rare but not impossible occurrence- and she figured that this was it, there was nothing else that could make this shitty situation even worse.

Then the power went out and Selene uttered a string of curses the likes of which no man or woman had ever heard before and would likely never hear again.

And so, Selene Scientia delivered her own baby, completely unmedicated, in her bedroom during a blizzard with only the occasional flashes of lightning and the light of her phone to see what she was doing. In the only stroke of luck in all the hours she was in labor, her son was born head down with no complications- breathing on his own mere seconds after he was born. Selene was sobbing with pain and relief when she heard him cry, cleaning him off and wrapping him in towels, pressing him against her breast and praising the gods that it was over and he was safe.

About 15 minutes later, the EMTs and her husband arrived to find Selene calmly feeding her newborn son, her long ash blonde hair soaked with sweat and her bedroom an absolute mess. Marius cut the umbilical cord and together with the EMTs cleaned up as best as they could. The doctors confirmed that both mother and child were healthy and tactfully choose to leave the newly expanded family alone for a little while to relax and bond.

Marius carefully pulled a chair up to the bedside and peered at his son, noticing happily that he had inherited his green eyes. "So. I suppose that naming him after my mother is out of the question but how about-"

"Marius Scientia, with all due respect to your late father, I will never name any child of mine Ignacio- it sounds like a sneeze."

Sensing his wife's unstable mood, Marius held up his hands in a soothing gesture. "Alright alright, we don't have to name him after my father if you don't want to but...what about Ignis? That doesn't sound like a sneeze."

Selene opened her mouth to protest but snapped it closed when the lights flickered back on and the rumblings of thunder started to fade away. "-you know what, I like that," she looked down at the sleeping child in her arms, gently brushing her fingers over his freckles. "It suits him."

Marius smiled and kissed his wife's cheek, "Ignis it is then. I'll go tell the doctors."

\---

After how difficult it was to get pregnant with her first child, it came as a complete shock when Selene realized she was pregnant again a mere 2 years after the birth of her son. She had been so focused on teaching her intelligent and curious child everything she could in the time she wasn't working that it wasn't until she was almost completely finished with her first trimester that she realized she was pregnant at all.

The two pregnancies of Selene Scientia were as different as night and day. Selene had experienced copious amounts of nausea during her first pregnancy but almost none with her second- much to her relief. However, where Ignis had been a calm baby, moving often but never kicking very hard- just enough for his mother to feel it, his sister would never stop moving, kicking so hard it sometimes made Selene jump. Her son had found it amusing, enjoying placing his small hands on his mother's stomach and feeling the baby move.

The deliveries were also vastly different. When Ignis was born, every single thing that could possibly have gone wrong did- she couldn't go to the hospital, she was alone, the storm prevented help from coming, the lights went out- but it was a warm sunny day in October when it was time to give birth to her daughter. Selene went to the hospital, got her epidural, enjoyed a slushee whist perusing the newest issue of her favorite scientific magazine, and gave birth to her daughter in record time.

As Selene sat in the hospital bed, her son cuddled up to her right side and her daughter Naenia asleep in the crook of her left arm, she swore that there could be no place more perfect than where she was right then- she had found heaven.

\---

Ignis was too young to remember the birth of his little sister. For him, she had always been there from as far back as he could remember: a constant of his life and his first friend.

Naenia looked more like her father with strawberry blonde hair and a penchant for mischief, but her big blue eyes and millions of freckles were from her mother. She adored her older brother, clinging to him like an octopus- a very affectionate and sweet octopus. Ignis in turn did his best to set a good example, passing on knowledge and being on his best behavior.

It was a warm summer evening and the Scientia siblings were outside in the twilight, laughing and tumbling around in their backyard while their parents watched fondly from the patio. Naenia was shrieking happily, running as fast as her little four year old legs could carry her as her brother gave pursuit. Ignis easily caught her in a hug, tickling her sides until she fell over bringing him with her.

While laughing in the grass, Naenia spotted a firefly and became entranced.

"Iggy, what's this?"

Her brother sat up behind her leaning over and squinting at the little bug. "That's a firefly, they come out at night."

"Why's it glowing?"

"Mom said it's so they can find their mates in the dark," Ignis smiled down at his little sister, "wanna catch some?"

"Yeah!"

Ignis stood up and extended a hand, helping Naenia up and brushing the grass off of her yellow sundress. With careful hands, Ignis showed her how to catch the tiny bugs, cupping them gently so as not to hurt them and placing them in a jar with holes poked in the lid. It took Naenia the better part of half an hour to master the technique but once she did, her insect powered nightlight became her favorite possession as she launched into a game of make believe where she was a fairy princess with a magical lantern and her brother was a lost knight in need of guidance. Ignis gamely played along, only rolling his eyes a little when his sister planted a big kiss to his cheek.

Before long, it was time to get ready for bed and Ignis gently explained to a crying Naenia that they had to let the fireflies go or else they would die. After being scrubbed clean of the grass stains and dirt, the pair were sent to bed and after minimal wheedling from his little sister, Naenia joined her older brother in his bed, curling up next to him and falling asleep, as at ease together as two peas in a pod.

\---

The worst day of Selene's life started like every other day. She and her husband woke up and started the coffee, read the paper, and while Marius took a shower Selene went to wake up the kids for school. Ignis blearily blinked up at his mother and rolled over, requesting five more minutes which he was granted while Selene went to check on her daughter. Normally, Naenia was a ball of energy, easily getting out of bed and aiding her parents in rousing her brother but today she was a little under the weather- nothing serious but with a low grade fever and a stuffy nose, Selene made the executive decision that the 6 year old was going to stay home and rest.

Selene got ready for another day at the observatory and Marius took over getting the kids ready. Ignis got up after another prodding from his father and had breakfast. It was while he was eating his toast that Naenia came down, sleepily rubbing at her eye with her stuffed Moogle plushie in her arms and joined them. She nibbled on the toast, her appetite diminished by her cold, and the siblings wished their mother a good day at work when Selene breezed through the kitchen, kissing her children on her way through.

Ignis brushed his teeth and got dressed, polishing his glasses carefully on his way out the door. Marius gently strapped Naenia into her booster seat, unable to leave a 5 year old unattended in their house. He drove Ignis to school where his son hopped out of the family car, hugging his dad and kissing his sister's overly warm forehead on the way before jogging inside. Marius drove Naenia home where he got her comfortable in the living room and called in sick to work, texted his wife an update on their kids, and made an appointment with the family doctor for later that morning.

It was while Marius was on route to the doctors appointment, Naenia safely belted into her booster seat, that a semi-truck's breaks went out and plowed into the driver's side of their silver SUV, killing Marius instantly. It wasn't until the car careened into the lane of oncoming traffic, sandwiching the car between the truck and another car, that Naenia perished. Onlookers were horrified when the bodies of the two were extracted from the mangled wreck and pronounced dead on site. Selene was notified and immediately went into shock- it couldn't be true, this had to be some sick joke.

Ignis remembered his principle calling him out of class, the "ooooh"s of his classmates following him as he rolled his eyes and walked down to the main office. The kind elderly woman who was the school's receptionist escorted him back into the office where he was given the news.

His father and little sister were dead.

It didn't make any sense- he had just saw them less than 3 hours ago, it was completely incongruous to what he understood and until he had evidence to support his principle's outlandish claims he would refuse to believe it.

But the truth it was.

The funeral was awful. His father was a well liked man- he had saved so many lives- and his sister had many friends at school so the funeral home was packed full. Selene was constantly surrounded by people, an absolute mess herself, meaning that Ignis had to fend for himself against the hordes of strangers and distant relatives who tried to give him their condolences when all he wanted to do was be left alone. The only person who was any sort of help was his Uncle Fidelis. His father's brother, Fidelis looked nothing like Marius with his wavy dark hair and dark eyes but to Ignis he looked like an angel when he escorted the 7 year old into the back room of the funeral home and stood guard, deflecting curious mourners away from his nephew so that Ignis could cry in private.

After half of his family was in the ground, Ignis' home life changed dramatically. His mother took some time off of work where she mostly just sat on the back porch, staring into the distance and twirling her wedding ring around her finger. Ignis would occasionally join her, climbing into her lap where she held him, stroking his hair and kissing his forehead but he could feel that she wasn't really there. Her mind was 1,000 miles away, her eyes seeing something that Ignis couldn't see no matter how hard he tried.

That was why when his uncle and a bunch of other men from the Citadel showed up at his school and pulled him out of his 4th grade classroom with an opportunity of a lifetime, Ignis found he didn't need nearly as much time as was offered to him to make his decision.

It wasn't that he didn't love his mother, he loved her more than anything, but he also knew that she was grieving the loss of a child and a spouse simultaneously and she wanted to distance herself from it all. Ignis always was an astute person, able to interpret data and apply it to a situation, but this normally didn't translate well to people- his mother was the exception.

Perhaps it was because they were so alike that it was easy for him to understand. Ignis wanted to get away from it all- every single time he walked around his house it made him want to cry. He couldn't stand to see Naenia's stuffed animals or his father's coat because they triggered so many memories so the logical conclusion was to not see them.

After talking it over with his mother, who wholeheartedly yet tearfully agreed that he should take this miraculous opportunity, Ignis agreed to become the Prince's Advisor. His Uncle Fidelis, himself an advisor to the king, helped him pack up his belongings and move from his home in the southern suburbs of Insomnia to his uncle's apartment in the Citadel. Selene and Ignis parted ways with a few tearful hugs and kisses, both knowing that this would ultimately be a change for the best.

\---

When Ignis met Prince Noctis for the first time, he was taken aback at how blue his eyes were. They were exactly like his little sister's. Perhaps it was destiny that Ignis would end up here, bowing to a shy, quiet, dark haired boy after years of training- but then again Ignis had never put much stock in destiny himself, finding it illogical to allow others to determine your own fate.

"Hello, Prince Noctis. It is a pleasure to finally meet you," Ignis said, his slightly southern accent smoothed out by months of enunciation tutoring but none the less there- albeit very dressed up. The prince bowed slightly in return.

"Nice to meet you too, Ignis."

Ignis straightened up and locked eyes with a tall boy in a pressed black uniform behind the prince. The brunette narrowed his eyes and Ignis felt uncomfortable as the older and bigger kid sized him up.

"Who are you?" he asked, his voice deeper than Ignis' even in youth.

"I'm Ignis Scientia. I'm going to be Prince Noctis' advisor."

"Well I'm Gladiolus Amicitia and I'm gonna be his shield so you better not hurt him."

Ignis looked at the young boy beside him again, taking in the long lashed blue eyes and delicate cheek bones and he wondered who would ever dream of laying a finger on such a sweet little kid. "Why would I ever do that?"

That momentarily stumped the older boy and Ignis turned back to Noctis, not knowing that in only a few months time, the two boys beside him would become infinitely important to him.

Noctis took to his new advisor immediately. Ignis only appeared to be a few years older than him but he was wise beyond his years, answering Noct's questions in a way that was clear, concise, and free of the double entendres his other more adult advisors were so fond of. He seemed to know everything about anything he asked- what that star was called, how that plant grew, who that man in the picture was- Noctis had yet to ask a question that his friend hadn't been able to answer within moments.

Gladio, on the other hand, was a bit pricklier. The 12 year old boy was almost hostile during every interaction with Ignis, his answers clipped and terse, and it was with no small amount of frustration that he had been unable to deescalate Gladio's dislike of him. His opinion of the prince's shield, although he would never say it aloud, was not kind. Or- at least- it wasn't kind until Ignis overheard a conversation between the king and his shield.

Ignis had been walking towards the royal apartment, reports in hand, when he caught snatches of their conversations.

"How's the wife Clarus?"

"She's...she's not well. Not well at all," the king's body guard exhaled slowly. "The doctors are saying 6 months at the most."

"I'm so sorry, is there nothing they can do?"

"No. I just- it's been so hard on the kids Regis. Gladio has just shut down to cope and Iris doesn't really understand what's happening and-"

Ignis' eyes widened with shock when he heard the king's shield- the toughest guy in the whole Citadel- choke back a sob and the king embrace him. Quickly, the 12 year old Ignis hurried on towards his destination, embarrassed and ashamed that he had stooped so low as to eavesdropping on the king but a small part of him was glad he had.

He understood now.

Gladio's mother was dying and there was nothing they could do to stop it and so Gladio was putting up walls between himself and everyone else to safeguard himself from further pain. Ignis had done much the same thing when his father and sister had perished, his classmates calling him cold-hearted and mean, giving him the nickname 'Iggy Iceheart.'

Needless to say he did not shed a tear when he moved schools to be closer to the Citadel, leaving his classmates behind.

But Ignis wasn't sure what to do with this new information. Not only was it such an intensely private matter, but it was something he had only found out through less than reputable means. After helping Noctis with his homework, Ignis returned to his uncle's apartments for the evening, reading a text from him that he wouldn't be home until later as he was celebrating his anniversary with his boyfriend.

Ignis shot a reply back congratulating the couple before he navigated his phone to his mother's contact. His finger hovered over the call button but he hesitated- would asking her about how to comfort a grieving friend be an upsetting topic for her? He wanted guidance but not at the cost of making his mother cry.

After another moment of debate, he hit the call button and brought the phone to his ear.

"Hello darling, what's the matter?"

Ignis couldn't help but smile softly at his mother's voice. She always sounded so sophisticated and gentle, her voice always putting him at ease. "Hello mama, how are things at the observatory?"

"They are progressing nicely, the move went rather smoothly as well. The new location is just gorgeous- no light pollution to speak of. You'll just have to visit soon darling, you can see forever out here."

"I'll try mama, maybe during summer break." Ignis hesitated a little, unsure of how to broach the topic. As if sensing his hesitation, Selene gently probed.

"Did you need something sweetheart?"

"I- yes. I wanted to ask you something but I'm not sure how to put it."

"Do your best darling, I'm listening whenever you're ready."

Ignis took a deep breath. "There is this boy, one of the prince's retainers, and his mother is very sick and I was wondering...what do I do? I want to help him but I don't know how."

Selene was quiet for a moment, contemplating her son's question. "Did he tell you this himself or did you hear it somewhere else?"

Ignis blushed at the inquiry, feeling like he was caught with his hand in the cookie jar. "I heard it somewhere else."

"Ah. Then I think the best course of action is to keep this to yourself. If he wanted your help, he would have come to you and explained the situation. I think the best course of action is to do what you wanted everyone else to do when your father and-" Selene choked back a son and coughed in a badly concealed attempt to hide it. "-When your father and sister passed."

"So...I should leave him alone?" Ignis furrowed his brow, confused. Somehow it didn't seem like the right course of action here.

"Not exactly. Just offer him your support and friendship and then leave the matter be. Don't dwell on it around him, he's probably sick of everyone asking him if he's alright. Just- be his friend. Let him know that you are someone he can come to."

"Alright, I'll try that. Thanks mama."

"No problem darling, I love you. Kisses!"

Ignis made a quiet kiss noise into the receiver and smiled softly, terminating the call. He was glad that his mother was doing better; she had moved out of their family home about three months ago to be closer to the newly built observatory outside of the Crown City, nestled in the mountains to the north-east of Hammerhead. She was now able to mention her late husband and child without immediately breaking down into hysterical sobs and that was in no small part due to the physical distance she placed between herself and the site of the accident.

Ignis would take her advice; He and Gladio had more in common than the other knew and Ignis would make sure to build the foundation of their friendship upon that common ground.

\---

"Iggy!"

Ignis nearly toppled over when Iris launched herself into his stomach, her arms wrapping around his waist. "Hello Iris," he smiled and rested a hand on her head, charmed by her boisterous affection. "You are looking radiant as always."

"Iris!" Gladio lumbered into view, a towel around his neck and shirtless suggesting that he had just finished showering. "What have I told you about bugging Iggy?"

Iris tightened her hold around her brother's boyfriend, sticking her tongue out at him. "I'm not bugging him!" She turned her big brown eyes to Ignis, a slight pout on her lips, "am I bugging you Iggy?"

"Of course not, I like talking to you, you are much more charming than your brother after all." Ignis shot Gladio a teasing smirk as Iris finally released him and ran off, shouting something about getting the flowers. Gladio crowded into Ignis' personal space and gave him a kiss, a few droplets falling onto his glasses from the other's wet hair, much to Ignis' chagrin.

"I'm serious Iggy, if she's bothering you just let me know and I'll make her stop."

Ignis was in the process of wiping his glasses off on his shirt where he rolled his eyes, "for the last time Gladio, I honestly enjoy being around your sister. She is a very sweet young lady."

Gladio's retort died in his mouth when Iris threw his shirt at his face, giving her a dark look before pulling it over his head. Iris smiled up at Ignis, her arms holding a bouquet of beautiful lilies. Once everyone was dressed and ready, the three headed out to the car where Ignis chauffeured them to the cemetery. Once there, the trio began the trek up towards Lilja Amicitia's headstone, Iris hopping onto her brother's back with a laugh and Ignis finding himself barely saving the lilies from being crushed. 

When Ignis and Gladio arrived at their destination, Iris slid down from her brother's back and began filling her mother in about the birthday party and the cake Ignis had made for the occasion. Ignis gave the two some space, this was their tradition after all and he didn't want to intrude.

Gladio it seemed had other plans.

The big brunette slid up beside his boyfriend, his hand snaking its way around his waist. "Hey, you don't have to stand all the way over here, we don't bite," Ignis shivered when he felt Gladio's lips brush the shell of his ear, "...hard."

Ignis turned away from Gladio, who was grinning wolfishly, and blushed, feeling like this was vastly inappropriate behavior to be having less than 6 feet away from his mother's headstone and his little sister. "I can't help but feel that I'm intruding, this is such an...intimate tradition."

Gladio scoffed, pulling Ignis closer to his body and placing his hands in what Ignis thought were entirely inappropriate places. "Please, you're basically family already and I invited you here. I'm serious about this, about us. You've already met my dad so now it's time you meet my mom."

Ignis looked over at the brunette, positive his cheeks were glowing in embarrassment as he attempted to hide it by shoving the bouquet of lilies between himself and his boyfriend to free himself from the handsey brute he had, for some reason or another, decided to date. Gladio's eyes widened but he took the flowers regardless and Ignis kept a single white rose for himself. "Here, these are yours. I'll be right back."

Ignis turned on his heel and walked away, trusting his feet to take him to his own destination despite it being years since he last visited. "Where are you going?" Gladio called out, confusion and worry evident in his voice.

"I want to visit someone else- I won't be long!"

Several rows over, in another section of the cemetery, a large granite headstone marked the place where his father and sister were buried together, their names engraved beside each other in beautiful script. Ignis kneeled, gently pulling away the weeds and tall grass before lovingly placing the white rose at the foot of the marker between the two names. He never cared much for lingering around gravestones, speaking into empty space like the person is still there but he respected that it brought comfort to some people, but just not himself.

Ignis gently placed a kiss to his fingertips, pressing against the names of Marius and Naenia in turn. "Goodbye papa. Nina. I miss you."

Gracefully, Ignis stood and returned to his boyfriend's side, allowing himself to be "introduced" to Gladio's mother. Ignis gamely went along, keeping his own opinions on graveside soliloquies to himself. This was important to Gladio so, by extension, it was important to Ignis as well. After several minutes of listening to Gladio gush about their relationship- embarrassing yet endearing- they began to walk back to the car, Iris sprinting on ahead leaving the couple behind.

"Hey," Gladio gently nudged Ignis with his elbow as they descended a hill, "where'd ya go?"

"I told you, there were some people I wished to visit since I was here. A two birds with one stone situation, I suppose."

"Yeah but who?" Gladio's voice, filled with kind earnest curiosity, made it impossible for Ignis to truly be irritated at the prying question but he was still reluctant to answer the question. Whenever he told anyone about his deceased father and sister, they always looked at him with such pity and while he could deal with such looks from members of the council and acquaintance, he didn't want to receive one from Gladio.

"My father and little sister, if you must know. They're buried just a little ways away from your mother."

Gladio blinked, shocked into silence. "Oh I- um- I'm so-"

"Don't you _dare_ say you're sorry." Ignis surprised himself with the venom in his voice and he was sure he surprised Gladio as well. "You've lost loved ones, you know how empty those words feel. I don't want to hear you of all people say it, not when it's finally gotten easier."

Uncomfortable silence fell between the two of them as they slowly walked in Iris' wake. Gladio carefully wrapped an arm around Ignis' waist and Ignis let himself relax into his touch, ire melting away.

"I didn't know you had lost so many people so close to you, Iggy. I just- why didn't you tell me sooner?"

Ignis sighed, his chest expanding and contracting completely before responding. "Well it happened so long ago- before I even knew you- and Honestly? It's been over ten years and I am so _tired_ of hearing 'I'm sorry' and 'are you okay' that the idea of hearing it from _you_ made me want to punch something."

"I understand," Gladio kissed Ignis' forehead softly. "I do. If you need someone to talk to, about anything, you know I'm right here for you, right?"

"Of course."

"Come on guys!" Iris called out, impatiently pulling on the door handle of the locked car. "Lets gooooo! You're taking forever!"

"We're coming! Sheesh." Gladio yelled back, squabbling in the typical sibling fashion and Ignis smiled despite himself. "And what's so funny?" he added, groping Ignis' ass with a leer and earning himself a gentle smack on the chest.

"Gladio! Can you at least wait until tonight? Gods you are insatiable!"

"You still didn't answer my question."

"For the love of- if you must know your childish banter with your sister is endearing and reminds me of what Naenia and I used to do. There- you happy? Now unhand me you brute!"

Gladio did no such thing and instead dipped Ignis low in a kiss, earning gagging noises of disgust from his sister.

"Ewww! Gross! Get a room!"

\---

Ignis was relieved to hear that his mother had remained relatively untouched by the chaos that had enveloped the Crown City, abandoning her home in the mountains where the magitek battleships had decided to hide in favor of joining the refugees bound for Lestalum. Ignis knew his mother wouldn't stay there though, she loved the night sky too much to stay in the brightly lit, crowded, city.

That was why, when his mother shot him a text as Noctis, Prompto, Gladio, and himself had been at the Chocobo ranch saying that she had bought herself a place over by Cape Caem he was not surprised. A part of him worried about her safety, of course, but it didn't do much good to try and talk sense into Selene when she was already aware of the risks herself. Nevertheless, Ignis slept easier once she called and told him she had arrived at her new home.

It was while they were resting in the rundown but homey house beside the beach with Iris and Talcott that Ignis decided he would pay his mother a visit before boarding to Altissa. Waking up very early, Ignis shook Gladio awake, ignoring his pleas for 5 more minutes.

"Gladio, get up or I'm leaving without you," Ignis hissed, already dressed for the day. That got Gladio's attention and he opened his eyes.

"Leaving? Where ya goin'?"

"Get up and you'll find out."

Gladio groaned and rolled out of bed, pulling his clothes on and trudging out into the misty morning air where Ignis already had their pink and lilac chocobos fed, saddled, and ready to go. Gladio took the reins of Captain Chalupa, climbing atop her hot pink feathers while Ignis settled himself upon Thunderhawk. How he managed to look dignified and sexy whilst astride a purple chocobo, Gladio never knew.

They set off along the coast towards the east and Gladio stifled a yawn. "Alright, I'm awake so where are we going."

"We are going to visit my mother. It's been far too long since I've seen her and I figured that since you are here as well, we might as well have you meet her too."

Gladio nearly toppled off The Captain in surprise, earning him a sqwack of reprimand. "What!? You want me to meet your mom!? Why didn't you tell me- I look like shit!"

"Gladio, we all look like shit. Besides, I hardly think that is the last thing you should be worrying about at the moment."

"Ignis! I don't know anything about her at all and I-"

"Well, her name is Selene and she is an astronomer. _Honestly_ Gladio, you are overreacting."

"No!" Gladio blushed when his voice cracked and tried again. "No, I'm pretty sure that this is the prefect amount of 'reacting' I should be having!"

Ignis snorted, spurring Thunderhawk into a sprint, "Well you best get it out of your system now because we're almost there."

Gladio fumbled to catch up, eyes locked on the small weather beaten house in the distance. About a yard or so away from the front poach, they couple dismounted and tried their birds to the fence post, ascending the steps. Gladio nervously was finger-combing his hair as Ignis gently knocked on the door, the sea glass wind chime tinkling in the morning breeze. A woman was heard moving through the house, a faint "Coming!" making Gladio's heart race.

The woman who answered the door was petite and regal looking, dressed in a light blue sundress with her slightly greying ash blonde hair falling to her waist in loose waves. She had about a million freckles all over her body and she stood just short of her son's nose. It took exactly three seconds for her to smile, Gods it was the same as the one Ignis cracked when happy, and embrace her son. "Hello darling! I'm so glad you could visit!"

"Hello mama, there's someone I'd like you to meet." Ignis freed himself and turned towards Gladio. "Mama, this is Gladiolus Amicitia. Gladio, my mother."

Selene took a step back and looked Gladio up and down, her face serious. "Ah yes, the infamous Gladio. Yes...I suppose he will do." Just like that, it was over and Gladio found himself being embraced by the woman who had just seconds earlier been giving him such a cold look. Relieved, he hugged her back and she released him, turning on her bare feet and heading back inside. "Well I've just started the coffee and I could use some help with breakfast. I assume you haven't eaten yet?"

"Your assumption is correct, mama." Ignis followed her inside before realizing Gladio was still frozen on the porch and turning around to retrieve his dumbfounded boyfriend. The couple followed Selene into the kitchen where she handed Gladio a stack of plates and Ignis the frying pan, the three easily settling in for a quiet breakfast before returning to the base and heading for Altissa. Gladio watched Selene and Ignis from behind, marveling at how alike they were in both personality and mannerisms, and only slightly jumped when Selene shot him a look, warning him to set the table or else.

Gladio hurried to correct his error, knowing without a doubt that if Selene could scowl like Ignis, she could likely smack like him too. Either way- he didn't want to find out.

\---

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! This is the first multi-chapter fic I've written in forever and my first story ever for this fandom and I don't anticipate it being my last! Thanks for being patient while my life went to hell- knowing someone actually is reading this made writing it much easier!
> 
> *DON'T FORGET TO GO READ THE NEW SCENES I ADDED FOR NOCTIS.*
> 
> As always, Comments and kudos are always appreciated! I love getting feedback- it makes me a better writer!


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